Means for recording and gauging the irregularities of railway-track rails



Nov. 23 1926. 1,607,882

A. ENGELGAU MEANS FOR RECORDING AND GAUGING THE IRREGULARITIES OF RAILWAY TRACK RAIL 5 Filed Oct. 10 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 3711x214! or,

Pkwy/W I I WZWZPJJ Nov. 23 1926. I 1,607,882

A. ENGELGAU MEANS FOR RECORDING AND GAUGING THE IRREGULARITIES OF RAILWAY TRACK RAILS Filed Oct. 10, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 23 1926. 1,607,882 v A. ENGELGAU MEANS FOR RECORDING AND GAUGiNG THE IRREGULARITIES OF RAILWAY TRACK RAILS gnozntoz Nov; 23 1926. 1,607,882

' A. ENG ELGAU MEANS FOR RECORDING AND GAUGING THE IRREGULARITIES OF RAILWAY TRACK RAILS Filed Oct. 10, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 9 ad a 2g- Patented Nov. 23, 1926.

UNITED. ST

ATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT ENGELGAU, OF BURKE, SOUTH DAKOTA;

MEANS FOR RECORDING AND GAUGING THE IRREGULARITIES OF RAILWAY-TRACK RAILS.

Application filed October 10, 1923. Serial No. 667,692.

This invention relates to a combination gauge and recorder for installation upon a work or inspection car whereby the irregularities of railway track rails may be properly gauged and recorded during the moveand the result recorded in a novel, simple and expeditious manner and this without requiring any great skill on the part of the workmen.

A still further object is to provide such a means wherein an alarm is sounded in the event that the irregularities between the parallel rails of a trackway exceed a cer tain predetermined degree for thereby signalling the workmen upon the car that that point in the trackway must be particular before proceeding set to a proper gauge further.

Briefly described, my novel track rail gauging and recording mechanism comprises a telescopic axle that is employed in lieu of one of the usual axles of thework or inspection car and upon the opposite ends of which are horizontally .and vertically pivoted rail engaging wheels, means being provided for normally displacing the sections of the axle outwardly with respect to each other and for consequently maintaining the said wheels in close engagement with the rails. Upon one of the axle sections is disposed a slowly moving record sheet upon which a record is made of the irregularities between the parallel rails of the trackway and this through the medium of a marker that is operatively connected to the other section of the axle, it being of course apparent that inward and outward movements of the axle sectionswith respect to-each other, caused by the irregularities of the rails will control the operation of the recording mechanism, the result thereof being always visible to the workmen upon a car.

A still further object of the invention is to provide such a mechanism wherein the wheels upon the opposite ends of the axle may be swung upon both their horizontal and vertical pivots for so positioning the same with respect to the rails as to have the specific mounting means in horizontally and the flanges thereof closely hug the inner edges of the railtreads and this at a point slightly rearwardly of the vertical axes of the wheels for consequently precluding any possibility of the car. hopping the tracks, means being provided for securely locking the wheels in their adjusted positions for preventing any pivotal movement of the same upon the ends of the axle when the mechanism is functioning.-

With the above and other objects in view as the nature of the invention will be better understood, the same comprises the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described. shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a frontelevational view of my track rail gauging and recording'mechanism per se,- V

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof,

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail longitudinal sectional view through the recording mechanism per se,

Figure 4; is a horizontal sectional view: thereof taken approximately upon the line 4-4 of Figure 3, for'disclosing themechanism of this recording means more clearly,

Figure 5 is a vertical section through this recording mechanism and taken substantially upon the line 55 of said Figure 3,

Figure G lS an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through a portion of the tclescopic car axle for disclosing more clearly the circuit making and breakingmechanism for the alarm device,

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section through one end of this telescopic axle for more clearly disclosing I for the rail engaging wheels, it being understood in'this connection that the wheels upon the opposite ends of said telescopic axle aresirnilarly connected thereto,

Figures 8, 9, 10 and 11, are'enlarg'ed perspectives of the specific elements employed. i vertically pivoting the track engaging wheels to the opposite ends of said telescopic axle, and i Fig. 7 is a detail view showing, in elevation the structure also seen in Fig. 7, the view being in top plan. I

In the prelude to this specification I have stated that the telescopic axle may be employed in lieu of one of the usual axles of the work or inspection car upon which this present device is installed, however, the device may be entirely separate from the car and secured to the rear axle or frame there of through the medium of suitable connect ing bars 5-5 in Figure 2.

My invention per se embodies the provision of a telescopic axle 6 that includes an outer hollow section 7 and an inner solid .section 8 that are normally displaced outwardly with respect to each other through the medium of springs 9 upon opposite sides of said axle and being connected at one end to laterally extending pins 10 formed upon the inner end of the solid axle section 8 and that have free sliding movement within longitudinal slots 11 in said tubular section 7, the opposite ends of these springs being secured to relatively elongated eye-bolts 12 that are adjustablv secured through the medium of jamb nuts 13 to laterally extending ears 14 formed upon said hollow axle section 7, whereby the tension of said spring may be increased or diminished as desired.

The outermost end of each axle section is bifurcated as at 15 in Figure 9 and within which is set one curved end of a connecting block 16, Figure 8, and secured thereto through the medium of a horizontal ivot 17 that extends through registering openings in the legs of the bifurcations and said curved end of the connecting block 16. The opposite end of said connecting block 16 is curved in an opposite direction from its inner end and over which positioned a yoke 17, Figure 10, the upper and lower arms of said yolre being formed with alined openings that register with a vertical bore 18 Figure 8. in the adjacent end ot. said connecting block whereby the elements are pivotally secured together thr arch the dium of a vertical pivot 19. The yolres are formed with pintles 20 upon w ich journaled the track rail engaging wheels 2i and 22, each of these pintles being reduced and screw-threaded at its outer end whereby the respective wheel may be secured thereto through the medium of a jamb nut 23, Figure 7.

Each of the axle sections adjacent its bifurcated end is formed with two pairs ot radially extending equally spaced arms 24; and 2% respectively, the ends of the first named of which are bifurcated at 25 and within which are pivotally mounted blocks 26. Positioned slidably within the boreof the blocks 26 carried by the verti ally extending pair of arms 24 are the screwthreaded ends ot. relatively elongated evebolts 27 the opposite eyed ends thereof hei i-J pivotally disposed as at 28 within the l)l furcated ends 29 of arms 30 that extend in a vertical direction and that are formed upon upper and lower sides of the before mentioned connecting block 16 and adjacent its horizontally pivoted end Figure 8.

Each oi the before mentioned yoke 17? is formed upon opposite sides with outwardly and slightly inwardly curved arms 31 the ends otwhich are biturc'i'ed at 32 and within which are pivotally disposed the inner eyed ends of an additional pair of eye-bolts 34 that are slightly longer-than the before mentioned eye-holts 2?. The screw-threaded ends of these eye-bolts 34 .lso extend within the bail joints 26 carried by the horizontally extending ones of the before mentioned arms 2 loi the axle sections- Here l would direct attention to. the fact that the screw-threaded ends of the eyebolts 34 are connected. as s on in Figure 11. to the outer ends of the arms 24 through the medium of what may be designated as ball joints 26 A conventional type oi a joint is shown here and permits the necessary pivotal action essential in permitting proper relative angling of these belts with respect to the bolts 27 when the wheel is .4 upon horizontal and vertical planes. Threaded upon the eye-bolts and 34.- at opposite sides of the pivotal connections 26 and 26 are jamb nuts for securely fastening said eye-bolts to the arms 2% atter the rail engaging whe ls 21 and 22 have ted to the desi ed angle for consequently preventina' any pivotal movements of the same when the device is in use.

In. actual practice it is prettcrablc that these wheels 21. and an inwardly upon their h l pit i at their upper ends for positioninej the angle of substantially 20 degree these wheels being also moved upon their v r'tical pivot in a direction inwardly at at their front ends for consequently positioning the flanges 27 thereof in close engagement with the inner ed es of? the rail treads and this at a point sligh rearwardly of their vertical M s as clearly shown in Figure 1. for there causing a tendency of the wheels when 51* forward to press down more than their nati weio'ht on therails.

Fixed upon the top side the outer tubular section 7 of the telescopic axle 6 is a record sheet carrying casing within which. is iournaled a l'iorizontal roller car-- rying shaft 37 adjacent the tront end there of and upon which is disposed a record sheet 38 in roll form. this record sieet being relatively wide having a pair are mileage indicat 4t) This record sheet 38 extends up .rd y from tl.,. roll and passes between a fixed movable guide roller ll and 42 respectively. The fixed IOU guide roller 41 is journaled within the casing adjacent the upper. front corner thereof while said movable roller 42 is provided at its opposite ends. with pi'ntles 43 that are positioned beneath the front fingered ends of apair of pull strips 44 that are formed at their rear ends with pendant lugs 45 and through which are openings for receiving guide rods 46 These guide rods d6 are carried by spaced brackets 4-.7 upon the opposite side walls of the beforementioned casing 36 and are formed at their front ends with block bearings a8into engagement with which is forced the p-intles 43 of said movable roller 412 through the medium-of coiled springs 49 encircling said rod between the lugs 45 of the pull strips a l and abutments. 50 upon said rod.

The sheet is then extended rearwardly horizontally and passed over a supporting strip 51. and thence beneath a rubber covered guide roller 52 and then over a relatively higher disposed and spaced guide roll 53 for so positioning the record sheet between these two rolls 52 and 53 whereby the markingsthereon may be clearly viewed through a transparent cover 54- that is fitted within an opening in said casing 36.

This record sheet 38 is then brought downwardly and passed between a feed roll 55 and a spring tensioned roll 56 this feed roll 55 adapted to be extremely slowly rotated through the movement of the car over the rails for consequently unwinding the record sheet from its roll. and passing the same into a compartment 57 provided at the rear end of said casing 36.

The feed roll 55 isrotated in the direction of the arrow, Figure 3, in an extremely slow manner through the medium of a train of speed reduction gearings appropriately arranged within the casing and designated generally 57 This train of gearing is operatively connected to one end of a flexible shaft 58 that extends outwardly of the casing and is equipped at its opposite end with a spur gear 59, Figure 7 that has mesh with a spur gear 60 arranged upon the hub of the rail engaging wheel 21 for rotation therewith.

Ata point within the tubular section 7 0f the telescopic axle 6 the solid section 8 is formed with a vertical arm 61 that has sliding movement within a longitudinal slot 62 formed in the topside of said hollow section 7. Connected at one end to this arm 61 as at 63 is one end of a rod 64- that extends parallel with said axle and engages within an opening in the adjacent side wall of the before mentioned record sheet carrying casing 36 and is pivotally connected at its opposite end as at 65 to the lower end of a rock bar 66 which rock bar is pivoted intermediate its ends to a bracket 67 within said casing. This rock bar 66 extends upwardly beyond the record sheet roll and is pivoted at its upper end as at 68 to an inwardly extending arm 69 that is in turn pivoted at its opposite end to one end of another arm 7 6 that extends horizontally within the casing above the record sheet '38 and is pivoted intermediate its ends to the top wall of the casing as at 71, thefront end of this arm being equipped with a suitable form of marker 72 of Figure 3 that contacts with the record sheet between the parallel spaced lines 39 upon the top side thereof and at a point where this record sheet moves over the before mentioned guide strip 51 that in reality effects a table for said marker.

It will thus be seenthat when the wheels have been properly set and'preferably in a manner as shown in Figures 1 and 2 and the car moved over therails the record sheet will be unwound from its roll and consequently drawnbeneath the marker 72 and any irregularities in the track rails will occasion the displacement of the axle sections inwardly and outwardly of each other which displacement of the axle sections will control a movement ofthe record sheet carrying casing as well as the marker 72 for thereby recording these variations upon the record sheet whereby these rails may be set ,to the proper gauge.

has sliding movement throughthe slot 62 of the tubular axle section 7 and that is formed "upon said solid section 8 1s equipped with an electrical contact linger 72 of Figure 6 that has movement beneath an inverted relatively tl-shaped bracket 7 3 that is formed upon the upper end of an arm 74 which arm is connected to and insulated from. said hollow axle section The legs of this U-bracket 7 3 carry adjustable electrical contacts 7 that are engaged by said contact finger 72 whenever the irregularities of the track rails become relatively great for thereby completing an electrical circuit to a. sounding device 76 which is preferably an electric horn. As a sourceof electrical supply a storage battery 77 is provided that is suitably supported upon the hollow axle section one terminal thereof being electrically connected to the axle while the other terminal is electrically connected to one contact of said sounding device 76v the opposite contact of this sounding device being electrically connected to a terminal post 78 upon said inverted U- shaped bracket 73.

The innermost end of the axle section 7 has pivoted thereto a bell crank lever 7 9 the lower arm of which is formed with a pair of spaced fingers 80 for engagement over a laterally extended pin 81 formed upon the solid axle section 8 whenever it is desired to prevent relative displacement of the sections with respect to each other such as when passing ov' r the frogs of switches for consequently preventing the wheels from climbing frogs and derailing, and the. marker i'roni noving a straight path directly centra-.y between the parallel lines 39 of the before mentioned record sheet 38. The opposite arm of this bell crank is equipped with a detent 82 for co-operation with a toothed sen- .nt 88 carried by the tubular axle section 7 for maintaining lid. bell crank in set position.

From the foregoing description when con sidered in conjunction with JliS accompanying drawings, it will at once be appreciated by those skilled in the art that I have provided a hi hly novel and operable in ...is for gauging and recording irregularities of railway track rails, and even though I have he ein set forth that this device consists oi certain specified scructural elements it is nevertheless to be understood that departures may be had therein without affecting the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is 1- 1. In a device of the class des ribed, an extensible axle, wheels at the ends of said axle, and means between said axle ends and wheels permitting said wheels to be moved on both vertical and horizontal axes and ad ditional means for positively holding said wheels in set position.

2. In a device of the class described, an extensible axle, rail engaging wheels at the ends of said axle, means interposed between the axle ends and said wheels for permitting the wheels to be adjusted simultaneously on horizontal and vertical axes, said means comprising a block pivotally connected to said axle on a horizontal axis, and a yoke connected to said Wheel pivotally connected to said block by a vertical pivot. and additional means for positively maintaining said wheels in set positions.

3. In a structure of the class described, an extensible axle binircated at one end, a block pivotally mounted between said furcations upon a horizontal axis, plural radiating from said block and 'ilfilllfillfl axle ends, a pluralit -J of adjusting and retaining bolts PlVOtfilly connected with the block arms and adjustably and pivotally connected with the arms on said axle, and a rail engaging wheel pivoted upon a vertical to said block.

l. in a novice of t atcd at one nd, a block arranged an the. furoations a horizontal pivot ssilg' through said furcations and or permitting movement of the block ln a device of the class described, an axle composed of telescopically connected sections normally forced outwardly from each other by yieldable rneans, least one or said sections being bifurcated at the outer end, a block arranged between the ureations and pivotally connected thereto by a horizontally disposed pivot pin, a yoke pivotally connected to said block by a vertical pivot pin, said yoke carrying a journal, a wheel mounted upon said journal, a bearinn; equipped bracket carried by said yoke, a gear carried by said wheel, a pinion in mesh with said gear, and shaft carried said pinion and rotatably mounted in said bearing.

In testimony whereof I my signature.

ALBERT ENGELGAU. 

